Jai Balaji Pan Center

This pan shop is located over in Bapu Nagar within the Karunasagar Estate area on Anil Starch Road. It is a small corner in Vadodara that stays busy because of all the nearby businesses and factories. We are not a big store by any means. It is just a small counter where we put everything together for the people who stop by. Most of our customers are workers from the estate who come by during their breaks or after they finish their shifts. My hands stay stained from the lime and the other ingredients we use for the pan. It is a messy job but I have been doing it for so long that I do not really think about it anymore. We have a small radio that plays local stations all day long just to keep us company. The shop is open to the street so we get a lot of dust and heat coming inside. We do not have any fancy furniture or a place for people to sit down. They just stand by the counter and chat for a few minutes while I work. We know most of the regulars by their faces and what they usually like to order. It is a simple way to make a living and we have been in this same spot for years. The street has changed quite a bit but we are still here doing the same thing every day.